INDvsAUS Boxing Day Test: Character Was Important, Really Proud Of All The Players, Says Ajinkya Rahane
Mumbai: Despite his brilliant innings, stand-in-captain Ajinkya Rahane refused to take credit for his man of the match show in the second Test match between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
After scoring a winning run to secure the win on Tuesday, the batsman immediately pointed to a stunning performance put on by the team.
He said, “Really proud of all the players. Played really well. He gave credit to (Mohammed) Siraj and (Shubman) Gill, the character they showed after the Adelaide loss was great to see,” he said in the post-match presentation.
“The character was important to us, especially after Umesh lost in the second innings. It (the scheme of five bowlers) worked well for us. We were thinking about being an all-rounder and Jadeja was great for us,” he added.
While Gill did not fire the stand, he certainly extinguished the fire thrown at him by the pair of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins. And Rahane was quick to point out how the youth stood. He praised Siraj, for standing up and counting, especially for missing Umesh in the second innings with India.
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“Shubman, we all know his first-class career and in this game, he has shown an intention to play shots at this level. He has shown it. Siraj has shown that he can bowl with discipline. It’s really difficult for debutants to bowl with discipline but that’s where I think the first-class experience comes in handy,” he pointed.
While Rahane confirmed that Rohit is ready to join the team for the third game, he did not say much about Umesh’s injury. “Umesh is recovering well, management and medical staff will make the call. We’re excited about Rohit coming back. Spoke to him yesterday, he’s waiting to join the team,” he said.
Debutant Shubman Gill was unbeaten with captain Rahane (27) as he crossed the line from the Indian side. His unbeaten 35 off 36 balls will stand India in good stead with Rohit set to start the third game.
Brief Scores: Australia 195 and 200; India 326 and 70/2 (Shubman Gill 35*, Ajinkya Rahane 27*; Mitchell Starc 1-20, Pat Cummins 1-22).
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